Valley / Ventura County Sports

Fatal Shooting of Former Star Likely a Suicide

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Katrina Price, a former basketball star at Stephen F. Austin whose professional career was set back when the American Basketball League folded last month, apparently committed suicide Monday.

Police responding to a 911 call just before 7 a.m. found her dead--apparently of a gunshot wound--in the hallway of the apartment of her sister, Lucy. Police said the younger Price is not considered a suspect.

Police Sgt. Paul Peterson said that the case is being investigated as a homicide because there were no witnesses, but officers believe it will be ruled a suicide.

"There were no signs of a struggle, and there appeared to be a shotgun lying under the body, which would tend to lead us toward that conclusion," Peterson said.

Price, 23, was a third-team All-American last season when she averaged 22.1 points and 5.3 rebounds. The 5-foot-10 guard was the Ladyjacks' all-time leading scorer with 2,278 points, and she was a two-time Southland Conference player of the year.

The game Monday night between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State was postponed because of Price's death.

The Long Beach StingRays made her the seventh overall pick in the May draft, but the team disbanded before she played a game. She was placed on the Philadelphia Rage in August and was a reserve when the ABL shut down in late December.

The ABL went out of business because it could no longer compete with the higher-profile WNBA.

"I don't know if that has anything to do with (her apparent suicide) or not," Peterson said.